


Hot Sugar

by Catheeso



Series: my past and your future [2]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguity, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hallucinations, Light Angst, Mentioned Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Morally Ambiguous Character, Over-use of italics, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), kinda sad, no beta we die like schlatt, wooooo next fic!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catheeso/pseuds/Catheeso
Summary: Dream watches, helpless.“I wish that we could be real, too.”
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: my past and your future [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109177
Comments: 2
Kudos: 206





	Hot Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> its here :)

Ranboo, Dream has learned, is very good at ignoring things. Dream does not know how to feel about this.

On one hand, being able to block out non-important noise is a useful skill, especially in the middle of a battle when everything is chaos.

On the other hand, being actively ignored by a seventeen-year-old socially awkward hybrid is a kind of humiliation Dream has never felt before and never wants to feel again.

Dream knew for a fact that Ranboo had helped Tommy burn down George’s house, but neither of them admitted it. It was frustrating, to say the least.

“I was there,” he hissed in Ranboo’s ear. “I _know_ you’re lying.”

Ranboo said nothing back and instead looked blankly at Tommy, traces of guilt in his eyes, as Tommy confessed. As Tommy confessed to griefing George’s house. Alone.

Safe to say, Dream was not impressed. But it’s not like he can do anything about it. So he just hovers next to Ranboo and watches Tommy and Tubbo argue over basically nothing. They’re shouting at each other and _he_ is seemingly unbothered by it. Maybe _he_ wanted this. 

Dream followed close behind Ranboo as the kid walked to his home in L’Manberg. 

“You should’ve said you were involved,” Dream told him.

“Leave me alone,” replied Ranboo. His shoulders were tense and his eyes slightly narrowed, the earlier guilt replaced by carefully-controlled irritation. Dream almost respected his keen senses. He was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for.

“It’s better not to lie,” Dream said.

“And you know that?”

Dream fought the urge to shift uncomfortably. “I do.”

Ranboo didn’t look over at him, but Dream could tell the irritation was slowly being replaced by confusion. It often did whenever Dream talked to him. Not that he blamed Ranboo, it was probably quite odd to talk to him. 

The rest of the walk was silent. Ranboo slammed the door on Dream’s face. Dream forced himself not to be bothered by it, the same way _he_ was.

~~~

“Just say you hate me,” George nearly whispered, his goggles blocking his eyes from view. Dream could tell, by the tone of his voice, that he was barely holding back tears. 

Dream wanted to tear his hair out, he wanted to scream. He wanted to grab George by the shoulders and shake him, saying: “I don’t hate you! I don’t hate you!”

Instead, he was silent. His chest hurt and his own eyes watered as Sapnap shouted and George started crying and Quackity sneered. He watched silently and couldn’t help but feel, well, helpless.

Dream _hated_ feeling helpless.

A long time ago he had made a promise to himself. He had promised himself that he would never be helpless, not ever again. It’s a stupid promise that children make when they’re hurt, but he chose to stick by that.

The only time before he had ever come close to breaking that promise was the duel with Technoblade when the piglin hybrid had sliced his mask down the middle. It had cracked, splitting in half, and Dream had panicked. 

Techno is the only person to have ever seen his face and although Dream intended to keep it that way, it’s not like he had wanted Techno to see his face.

Then, he broke the promise. He broke his own little imaginary promise to himself. He broke the promise when he was rendered helpless, unable to save himself or anyone. He still blamed himself for it, even though it probably wasn’t his fault.

Ranboo was watching the scene as silently as Dream was, except he was hiding in the bushes on the sidelines, not seen by anyone. Well, except Dream. And maybe _him_. 

George and Sapnap walk away, followed shortly by Quackity, and Dream can’t stop the tears that slip down from behind his mask. Nobody notices.

~~~

Tommy is deteriorating in exile. Dream doesn’t know if he should feel smug or proud or anything.

Tommy had always been an annoying little fly ever since he had been invited onto the server, but that doesn’t mean Dream wanted him _dead_. He caused a lot of chaos, sure, but he was young and also fun. He gave the server a new life.

Not that Dream liked that life he gave it too much. War, bloodshed, betrayal, arson, murder, and so many other bad things that had never existed before Tommy. Before the kid it was peaceful. There was not even a whisper about countries or governments or wars. 

Dream sometimes wished that he had never invited Tommy onto the server. That it had stayed the way it was before and nothing ever changed. 

But that wish was unrealistic. And, if Dream ever had the chance to change his decision to bring Tommy in, he would never act upon it. 

Still, it didn’t exactly _hurt_ him to see Tommy with torn-up clothes and missing a shoe. His hair was dirty and his eyes were dull. He looked a little like Wilbur back in Pogtopia. But even then, Wilbur had a little light to his eyes, a tiny spark. That tiny spark was insanity, but it was still a spark. Tommy was just bleak. 

“Tommy,” Ranboo greeted cautiously. Tommy blinked in surprise but mustered a small smile at the sight of his friend. 

“Ranboo, how are you, big man?” Tommy asked.

Ranboo took a seat next to Tommy, who was sitting on the edge of a big cliff, looking over the ocean. Dream stood awkwardly in the background.

“I’m...good,” replied Ranboo. “How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

Dream had the feeling he was not welcome here.

~~~

“I wish I could help more people,” he told Ranboo conversationally. Ranboo, who was busy mining, said nothing back. That was okay, Dream was pretty used to it by now. He was used to talking to himself. No one could exactly listen to him nowadays. He missed when he had an audience to tell stories to. 

“I’m real, by the way, since you seem to think I’m not.”

“You’re a hallucination,” Ranboo said, matter-of-factly. 

“I’m really not.”

Ranboo didn’t respond. Dream didn’t say anything else. 

Humiliating.


End file.
